


The Staff In Hastlan Forest

by Sheepquake



Category: Masks: A New Generation (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dark, Dark Magic, Emotional Manipulation, If You Squint - Freeform, M/M, Mind Manipulation, POV Queer Character, Part of a universe I haven't written yet, Queer Characters, Superheroes, Supernatural Elements, Superpowers, Visions, maybe a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23333587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheepquake/pseuds/Sheepquake
Summary: When an unknown magical presence begins calling out to teenage superhero Ethan Gardner, Ethan and friends are led to a mysterious object deep in Hastlan Forest, surrounding Halcyon proper. When making contact with this object, Ethan is forced to confront a dark part of themself that they'd rather keep locked away.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	The Staff In Hastlan Forest

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this for a creative writing class a few months ago and my professor ended up really liking it, so fuck it, I'll go ahead and post it. 
> 
> In other news, this is really a test with these characters, they're being used in a bigger story that hasn't been written yet but I wanted to play around them anyway, so here we are. 
> 
> This is the first work I've published online period so any constructive feedback would be great.

_Come to me._ The man’s voice echoed in Ethan’s mind. A deep, heavy bass. The man spoke with a posh English accent, in a calm and collected manner. Ethan had heard this voice before, but had no clue who it belonged to.

 _Rise._ A French woman.

 _Let it guide you._ A different woman, American.

 _Let us guide you._ A young Russian boy.

 _Learn the truth Ethan._ The man’s voice.

 _As we did._ A little girl.

 _Rise!_ An English woman.

 _Your truth._ A Korean man.

 _Take your rightful place!_ The man.

The voices were too much, too much, more than Ethan could handle. Ethan never understood what they meant, who they were, what they wanted. The voices were overlapping in Ethan’s head, making it impossible to understand. People Ethan had never met, asking for something that Ethan didn’t understand. It was too much, too much.

#

“Hey, dipshit! You here with us or what?” Nat’s voice rang out, cutting through the overlapping voices, her Spanish accent harsh to Ethan’s ears. Nat’s hazel eyes seeming to stare into Ethan’s soul. The circular, wire framed glasses Ethan wore did nothing to protect them Nat’s gaze. Ethan jumped as they were pulled from their thoughts. 

“Sorry?” Ethan asked, their own English accent a touch heavier than usual. They felt the wind brush over their cheeks, and heard leaves rustling in the distance. Birds chirping. A quick look around told Ethan they were in Hastlan Forest. And that their four friends were watching them. 

“Nat, you don’t need to be such a bitch,” Dawn was saying, a Midwesterner tinge to her words.

“When am I ever a bitch?” Nat asked, trying to keep a laugh from coming out. Michael laughed openly at Ethan’s side, which made Nat send him a playful glare. Ethan could feel Michael squeezing their hand.

“Why are we attacking Nat?” Ethan asked, emerald eyes meeting first Michael’s blueish-grey, and then Dawn’s lighter greens. 

“You were a little zoned out is all,” Michael answered them in his not quite Boston accent that Ethan had grown accustomed too. Found comfort in. 

“I was just asking if you think we’re almost there,” Dawn said, repeating the question Ethan had missed. 

“Why isn’t Ethan in front anyway?” Henri spoke up at last, her distinctive Southern drawl cutting through the casual sounds of the forest. “If only they can hear the call, shouldn’t they be leading us?”

“Yeah, because putting the British prick who keeps spacing out in charge is a great idea Henri,” Nat said, sarcasm dripping from the words. Henri frowned at her, crossing her arms over her chest, mumbling something the rest of the group couldn’t hear.

“Anyway,” Dawn said, pointedly interrupting Nat before she could open her mouth to mock Henri more, “Ethan, are we nearly there?” 

“I think so,” Ethan responded. “Shouldn’t be much longer now.” Dawn nodded at them. She turned back to the front, blonde hair flipping over her shoulder, and started walking again, expecting the others to follow. Nat pushed Henri forward slightly, a laugh coming out when the Southern girl huffed indignantly, and followed after her. 

“Keep up you two,” Nat called over her shoulder to Ethan and Michael, the words followed by mocking kissing noises from Nat and Henri. Michael rolled his eyes and flipped the girls off, watching as Nat’s red ponytail and Henri’s short brown curls disappeared into the woods. Michael turned to Ethan, his stormy eyes looking down into Ethan’s green.

“You’ve been spacey all week. You sure you’re good?” Michael asked. Ethan flashed him a smile and nodded. They reached up and took hold of the dark green beanie Michael was wearing, having to stand on their tiptoes to reach the much taller boys head. The pale white of Ethan’s hand contrasted nicely with the slightly dark, tanned skin of Michael’s cheeks. With a firm hold, they pulled it down to cover Michael’s ears, as well as most of his light brown hair. Ethan started laughing, and Michael soon followed suit as he grabbed the hood of Ethan’s black jacket and pulled it up over their own brown hair. 

“Come on dork,” Ethan said, and set off into the forest. Michael walked a bit quicker to reach the Brit and slipped his hand into theirs.

#

_Rise._

_Take your place at his side._

_Find the answer._

_Let him guide you._

_Your father._

_Find him._

_Feel his power flow through you._

_Rise!_

#

It didn’t take long for Michael and Ethan to catch up with the girls. The three were deep into conversation, which seemed to be largely centered around something dumb Henri had said. So just business as usual with them. 

“Look,” Henri said, pulling her brown pea coat closer around herself, “All I’m saying is that we don’t all have to be here. The Legion went to space on their mercy mission or whatever, and left us here to watch over Halcyon and we can’t do that if we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“The Legion left us here to be the heroes they’re training us to be,” Dawn said. The words almost stung Ethan. “If we’re gonna do that job, we should try and stop things before they happen. For all we know, this could be serious. Like, world-ending serious.”

“Or it’s absolutely nothing,” Nat grumbled.

“But what if we can’t handle it?” Henri said, ignoring Nat, her voice going high. 

“We all have literal superpowers Henri,” Nat said, louder this time. “We can take care of ourselves.”

“We’ve gone through a real life horror movie before Henri,” Michael said. “If we can survive supernatural monsters trying to murder us in some crazy asylum, we can deal with a voice in the woods.”

“And the police can handle things for one hour,” Nat added.

“Wow, Nat Cortez putting faith in the American police, never thought I’d see the day,” Ethan said. At the comment, the rest of the group started laughing. Even Nat herself couldn’t stop herself from snorting. A comfortable silence fell over the group. A few minutes later, Ethan froze, standing stockstill. It felt like something was crawling up their back. The voices in Ethan's head were growing excited.

“Ethan?” Michael asked. The question made the group stop and turn back to the Brit.

“This is it,” Ethan said. “In the clearing.” They pointed ahead of the group. Dawn turned to look, and Nat gave Ethan a confused look, eyebrows raised.

“Clearing?” Nat asked. “I’ve been through here tons of times, there’s never been a clearing here.” Ethan shrugged, not sure what to tell her. 

“There is definitely one now,” Dawn said slowly. The rest of the group walked up to her, standing at her side. As the five of them stood just outside the clearing that was indeed there, it felt almost like the world around them changed. The already cold air grew thick and heavy. The woods outside the clearing becoming blurred and vague the moment the group stepped into the clearing. Ethan felt a chill run down their spine.

“What the fuck?” Michael asked no one in particular, looking down. Surrounding the clearing was a circle of rocks, far too perfect to be natural. Michael kneeled down to look at one of the rocks, running his hand over the stone. “It’s completely smooth.”

The center of the clearing was sunk inwards, a steady incline from the circle of rocks to the center of the clearing. In the sunken center was a strange structure of black, jagged stone. It seemed to loom over everything, though Ethan was sure it was no taller than their chest. And Ethan wasn’t exactly tall to begin with.

“It looks like an altar,” Nat said, voice dripping with fascination. She moved carefully down the incline, to the so-called altar. She ran her hands over the stone. “Something’s in here.” Ethan could see it too from the edge of the clearing. A large golden ring, perhaps the size of a dinner plate, raising out the top of the altar. Dawn was the quickest to join Nat down at the structure, with Michael following close behind, pulling Ethan down with him. Henri, always the last to run into danger, remained on the outskirts of the clearing, watching from a distance.

“Are you sure going down there is a good idea?” She called out to the others. “We have no idea what that is.”

“How else are we supposed to find out?” Nat called back. Nat reached out to grab onto the ring, but Dawn grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Not yet,” Dawn said. “Michael?” She gestured to the altar. “Take a look for us, will you?”

“Stupid time powers, always gets to go first,” Nat was grumbling. Michael ignored her and stepped up to the ring, motioning for the others to take a step back. Finally getting over her hesitation, Henri came down to join the group as well. Once Ethan and the girls were at an acceptable distance from the altar, Michael reached a hand out.

When Michael’s hand touched the ring, Ethan could feel as their boyfriend’s mind slipped away. It made them shudder. It always felt this way when Michael used his power. His body just a vacant shell as his mind entered whatever world he saw in these moments. Ethan couldn’t help wondering what it really felt like. What really happened in these moments. 

It took several moments, perhaps a minute or two, but Ethan could feel it when Michael’s mind returned to his body. The flood of his mind, the rise of emotion, the sudden anxiety that was oozing from the boy. Michael pulled his hand away from the ring quickly, as though it had shocked him. He was shaking slightly.

“Well?” Dawn asked, taking a step towards him. Michael stood back from the altar, bringing a shaky hand up to pull off his beanie and run through his hair. He turned to the others, and Ethan could now see the nerves in his eyes. The blue orbs wide. “What did you see?”

“I’m not really sure,” Michael said. “It’s never been this clouded before.”

“Can you make any of it out?” Dawn asked.

“Yeah. This thing is old, like centuries old. And powerful. Tons of people have stumbled across it throughout time. I think this is the first time anyone’s found it in years,” Michael said.

“A lot of people have found this?” Henri asked. 

“What happened to them?” Dawn added.

“Not sure,” Michael told them.

“Let’s find out,” Nat said walking up to the altar. She took hold of the ring and pulled up, but the ring didn’t move. She tried again. Still nothing. She took hold with her other hand as well, putting more strength into it, and yet the ring still stayed firmly in place. “For fucks sake.” Nat glared at the ring. Ethan could feel her frustration. 

_It is yours._ The voice was back, the heavy bass of the man that had been haunting Ethan. _Rise, and claim it._ The sound echoed through Ethan’s mind.

“Let me try,” Ethan said. The group turned to the Brit and Ethan could feel Michael slip his hand into theirs.

“You sure?” Dawn asked. Ethan nodded.

“I can do it.”

“Let ‘em,” Nat said. Dawn was hesitant, Ethan could feel her worry. But she nodded. Michael squeezed Ethan’s hand before letting go. The group gathered behind Ethan. Ethan took a deep breath and closed their eyes. They let themself get lost in the moment. 

_These are your final steps,_ the voice echoed in Ethan’s head.

The familiar rush of power overcame them, coursing through their veins. This was something they knew well. Ethan had spent sixteen years learning to control their powers as best they could. They could feel the familiar tingle on their fingertips, the air filling with static. Ethan could almost hear the moment the energy began to collect in their hand, a sound Ethan could only describe as a high pitched note being sung in the distance. Ethan opened their eyes and glanced down to look at their right hand. Ethan’s fingers curled in, their pinky sticking out at an almost unnatural angle, ring finger nearly touching their palm. 

Ethan watched as the energy collected, a small sphere of deep, emerald smoke forming in the space between ring finger and palm. As they moved their fingers, the sphere would travel with their movement, winding its way deftly between Ethan’s fingers. Ethan turned their attention back to the golden ring and reached out, hand and mind moving as one. The same emerald smoke began to curl around the ring. Ethan lifted, a physical movement with their hand. But the ring wouldn’t move, staying still in the altar. Ethan’s brow knitted in frustration, and Ethan directed more energy into their hands.

They moved their left hand up as well, that hand now giving off the smoke. Ethan cupped that hand, positioning it in the same way they would if they were holding a plate from underneath. They pulled their right hand back towards their chin, and began to lift again, now with both hands. Ethan could feel as the ring shifted. And again. And again.

Finally, after what felt like hours to Ethan but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, the ring was freed. And with the freedom, the voices that haunted Ethan became overpowering. Ethan’s mind was flooded with them.

_It is yours, claim it._

_Take it!_

_Let him guide you._

_Learn the truth._

_As he guided us._

_Take your place!_

_The Staff will reveal all._

The smoke of Ethan’s powers dissipated and they collapsed to the ground, hands pressed over their ears, trying to block out the sound. Michael was at their side in an instant, on his knees next to his boyfriend. Ethan could feel his hands rubbing their back, heard muffled words from the boy but the words didn’t make sense. Ethan’s mind was to clouded for words to make sense. 

_Rise._

_These are your final steps._

_Free the King._

_Learn the truth._

_Rise, and take them._

_Your father._

_Prince._

_Rise!_

“Uh, guys?” Nat’s voice, cutting through the fog in Ethan’s mind. Michael and Ethan looked over at her, but it wasn’t Nat that caught their attention. It was the ring.

The ring, which wasn’t a ring at all, was floating in the air above the altar, supported by a force none of them could see. The ring was perched on a long, black staff. Thicker at the top where the ring was connected, and decorated with golden symbols that didn’t make sense. Runes. But none that Ethan had ever seen before. None of these were in the books Ethan had managed to collect over the years.

“Oh my God,” Dawn said. Henri had taken a step back, hand covering her mouth. Ethan grabbed onto Michael, and Michael took hold of Ethan’s arms, helping them stand. Ethan’s green eyes were wide as they stared at this staff. The call became stronger, a voice in the back of Ethan’s mind urging them to reach forward and take it. Ethan’s hand reached out, but Michael grabbed it. 

“Ethan, what are you doing?” Michael asked, using his hold on Ethan to turn them to look at him. 

“We should go,” Henri said. “I don’t like this.” Henri turned to Dawn, grabbing the blondes shoulder, shaking her. “Something’s wrong here.” 

“This is it,” Ethan said, but they sounded distant. “This is what was calling me.” They pulled on Michael, trying to reach out again. “It wants me to have it.”

 _You want the truth,_ the calm bass of the man’s voice was back. _You want to know where your power comes from? What makes you so special? The Staff will reveal all. Reach out and take it._

“What are you talking about?” Michael asked, refusing to let Ethan go. Nat turned to Ethan as well.

“For once I’m with Henri,” she said. “Something is really wrong here. That shit is not normal.”

“Mikey, let me go,” Ethan said, trying to pull away again. “I need to know.” 

“Ethan what on Earth are you talking about?” Dawn said. Ethan could feel the voices growing angry.

_Take what is yours._

_Learn the truth._

_He is waiting for you._

_Rise!_

_My son._

_RISE!_

Ethan shook their head, trying to clear their clouded mind. Ethan could feel their mind slipping, could feel the voices fighting to take control as they grew angry. Ethan couldn’t stop them, couldn’t force them out. 

“I have to know,” Ethan said.

“Know what?” Nat asked.

“Ethan, talk to us,” Henri said.

“We want to help you,” Michael said, taking Ethan’s arms in his hands and turning the Brit to face him. Ethan could see the worry in his eyes, could feel the fear coming off the boy in waves.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said. “I can’t stop it. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” The disembodied voices were growing stronger by the second, pushing against Ethan's mind. They could feel what was coming but they couldn't stop it. Couldn't speak, couldn't warn their friends.

“Sorry for what?” Michael’s voice was frantic now.

“Stop what?” Dawn asked.

Ethan felt their mind go blank, felt the world slip away. Felt their mind be pushed out of their own body. Ethan could feel the voices taking control. The voices words echoing over and over. In Ethan’s hand, they felt the rush of energy collecting in their palm. They didn’t want this, but they couldn’t stop it. Ethan’s mind was no longer in control of their body. Ethan's body pushed their palm into Michael’s stomach, the all too familiar high note only now accompanied by a heavy bass kick filled the air as they pushed the power out their palm. Michael was thrown back by the bolt of emerald that struck him.

Nat was the quickest, years of living on the streets having sharpened her instincts well. She was moving to grab onto Ethan. But the world was slow to Ethan's body, as well as their disconnected mind, time distorted. The voices that had taken control had no care for the human construction of time. And right now the voices were faster than Nat. Another sphere of energy in Ethan’s palm, another too familiar note, another heavy bass. Another bolt hitting their friend.

The world was still slow as Ethan’s body turned to Dawn and Henri. Henri was stepping back, her hand coming to cover her mouth in horror. She had seen the combative side of Ethan’s power before, they all had. But it had never been turned on the group like this. Dawn was stepping forwards, raising her arm. From outside their body, Ethan could see pink energy flashing to life on Dawn’s forearm, the girl trying to summon her shield. This time the voices reached out with Ethan’s powers, wrapping energy around the girls waists. The voices used Ethan’s hold to pull the two up off the ground and throw them back.

Michael was pushing himself up, eyes wild. The voices couldn’t let the moment pass. They surged Ethan’s body forward, taking hold of the staff with Ethan’s hand.

“Ethan!” Michael yelled as the world was lost in a flash of brilliant, white light.

#

_The truth will set you free._

_Rise!_

_At last, you have been brought to me._

_Free the King._

_Take your final steps._

_Take your place._

_He will be with you._

_Rise!_

_Always._

#

Ethan’s eyes opened to a void of blackness. They were alone. There was absolutely nothing here aside from the Brit. They took in a shaky breath and brought their hand up to run nervously through their hair, but they stopped when they noticed something different with it. Ethan’s hand was covered with a black, fingerless leather glove.

“What the…?” Ethan asked, and their voice echoed in the void. They looked to their other hand and saw that it too was covered with the same glove. Ethan looked down at themself and now saw how their entire outfit had changed. Sneakers replaced with knee length black boots. Jeans replaced by black trousers. A dark green top that hugged their body tight, trimmed with gold and golden stars running up the black panels on their sides. The larger golden star emblazoned on their chest, with two golden beams running diagonally from the star to their shoulder on either side. The matching dark green leather jacket, with tails that went down to their knees, hanging off their shoulders. Considering they couldn’t feel it, Ethan was sure that their mask was missing for whatever reason.

“I’m in uniform?”

“This is how you see yourself,” a voice said from behind Ethan. The calm English man’s voice that had always been in Ethan's mind. Ethan whirled around to face the voice and was not prepared for what they saw. The man was tall, even taller than Michael, maybe close to seven feet. He wore thick, heavy brown robes, that covered almost his entire body, save for his face. His skin was grey and torn away from his mouth, which housed crooked, yellow teeth. The man had no nose, just slits, and his eyes were huge and completely black except for the small dot of glowing green, which seemed to be his pupil. He had large, goat-like horns sticking out through his hood, and over the hood he wore a decrepit crown. Ethan thought it must have been beautiful once. 

“Who are you?” Ethan asked. They heard their voice echo throughout the void. Ethan took a step towards the man, the floor rippling as though they had just stepped in water. A chill ran down their spine. It was freezing here, wherever here was. 

“That does not matter,” the man said. He didn’t move.

“Where am I?” Ethan tried again. “What is this place?”

“Your mind,” the man replied. “Mine. The Staff. It does not matter either.”

“Are you what’s been leading me here? The voice?” The man nodded. 

“Child, I am every voice that has ever been inside your head,” the man said, his voice cycling through the various voices that had haunted Ethan as he did. “Guiding you. Giving you a strength that no human has ever had before.”

“What did you do to my friends? Why did you attack them?”

“They stood in the way.”

“The way of what?”

“The truth. Your truth.” The man said. Ethan wasn’t sure, but they thought the void became colder still. They could see their breath now as they spoke. They weren’t sure if they could this entire time or not.

“What truth?” 

“Who you are. What you are. I hold the answer to every question you have ever asked about yourself.” Ethan could feel nothing from the man. No emotion. When Ethan reached out with their mind, they could sense no thought coming from the man. 

“What’s happening to my friends?”

“See for yourself.” The man waved his hand, gesturing behind Ethan. Fleshless, skeletal arms caught Ethan’s attention. Ethan turned slowly, not wanting to take their eyes off the man, but desperate to know what was happening. Behind them had emerged what was almost like a large television screen, the kind Ethan would expect to find at the movie theatre. Ethan watched the scene playing out in horror. 

Ethan’s body, their real one, was crumpled on the ground, surrounded by a cloud of black ooze. It was swirling around them, getting larger by the moment. Ethan saw Michael on the ground a few feet from their body, clutching a bloodied fist to his chest. The girls were holding onto him, screaming, trying to pull him from the clearing. Ethan couldn’t hear anything from the scene, and they weren’t sure if that made them more or less scared for their friends.

“Stop it!” Ethan yelled, turning back to the man. “Let them go!”

“That is not my choice child. They should not have interfered.” Ethan felt tears begin to run down their cheeks as the man spoke. “Such a pity, they still had a role they could play in this.”

“You’re lying! You have to let them go!” 

“If only I had known it was this easy, I would not have bothered with that messy asylum. Such a waste of time.” Ethan turned back to the screen, watching as the black cloud surrounding their real world body becoming larger, threatening to consume everything Ethan cared about. 

“You said you could tell me the truth, tell me who I am. So tell me and be done with it.” Ethan said, their back turned to the man, head slumped. The scene in front of them was heartbreaking. “Tell me so I can leave.”

“I do not need to. You have already seen it.” Ethan’s heart dropped at the man’s words. They continued to watch the cloud growing bigger and bigger, watching their friends panic.

“No.”

“No?” The man asked, and for the first time Ethan could tell that they had surprised them.

“No. This,” Ethan brought a hand up, gesturing to the scene in front of them, “is not who I am.”

“If you do not believe what you can so clearly see, then you are a fool.” The man’s voice was cold, his words trying to bite Ethan. “You may not wish to admit it, but you have always been this. You, child, have always had this darkness inside of you. Threatening to come out.”

“Stop it.” Ethan’s voice was shaking. They brought their hands up to cover their ears, trying and failing to block the man out.

“You destroyed your school all those years ago. You nearly killed the kind doctor who tried to help you.”

“Shut up!” Ethan could feel tears running down their cheeks. 

“You can’t deny the truth my child. This is who you are, who you have always been, and who you always will be.” Ethan couldn’t take it anymore. This was a lie, it couldn’t be real. Their worst fear couldn’t be becoming true in front of their very eyes. Ethan’s eyes scanned the scene playing out in front of them. 

“You’re wrong. I’m not that,” Ethan said through tears. “I am a hero. And heroes do not stand by in the face of evil.” Their voice was shaking. Ethan wasn’t sure they believed the words they spoke. 

“Do you really believe that you are a hero?” Ethan froze at the words. The men knew how to get at them. He knew what was swirling around Ethan’s brain. The thoughts that had plagued Ethan since the Legion had taken them in nearly six months ago. “With what is in your blood, you will never be the hero you think you are.” Ethan’s eyes found Michael in the scene that was playing for them. With the boy in their sight, Ethan felt something inside them. Something tugging on their heartstrings. And this something was beginning to overwhelm the fear the man was trying to fill them with.

Michael had always believed in them. Michael knew every horrible thing Ethan had ever done, every accident that their powers had ever caused. And he hadn’t cared. He’d seen the demon inside Ethan and he had cast it aside. All of Ethan’s friends had. The four of them, who had every right to be the heroes the Legion wanted them to be, had seen Ethan and decided that they too, deserved the chance to be a hero. 

For once, Ethan thought they might truly believe their friends.

“You can’t choose who I am,” Ethan said. They furiously wiped tears from their eyes before they turned to face the man. Ethan had made up their mind. They felt the rush of power as emerald smoke began to fill their hands. “I do. And I choose to believe that I can be a hero, despite whatever darkness is inside me.” Ethan was sure now. They had never been so sure of something in their entire life. “The voices said to free you, but I will not let that happen. I will never let you leave this place.”

“If you strike me down, boy, then you will never learn the truth about who you are. You will never learn what makes you so special.”

“I have all the truth I need. I know who I am.” And with that, Ethan allowed the sphere of energy in their hands to grow bigger. When it became too much for any one hand, Ethan pulled the energy together in one sphere, holding it over their head. Ethan poured everything they had into it. With all their strength, they threw the sphere at the man. The man raised one skeletal hand, tried to block the blow. Ethan heard the man yell, and the world went white once more.

#

Ethan could feel the breeze against their cheeks. Hear the rustling of leaves blowing in the wind. Birds chirping. The familiar hum of energy from one of Dawn’s force fields. Ethan let out a slow, shaky breath and opened their eyes. They found themself lying on their back, looking up at the sky that was turning a brilliant collection of colour from the setting sun. The sun’s hues were distorted. One of the lenses in Ethan’s glasses had broken during the fray. Ethan turned their head towards the sound of the hum.

To their left, Ethan could see the pink dome. Could see three teenagers standing, and one sitting, inside it. Ethan could see the jagged, metallic exclamation point that was suspended in the air by Nat’s head. They could see black crystals that had sunken into the energy of Dawn’s force field, somehow having managed to push half-way before being stopped by the energy.

Ethan could feel the fear hanging over their friends. Ethan had terrified them. And Ethan couldn’t blame them for their fear. Ethan themself was scared of what they had seen through that screen. The only thing that made that moment real to Ethan was the chill that still lingered on their skin and the now silenced voices. 

“Ethan?” Dawn called. Ethan groaned and turned onto their side. They felt horrible. Sick to their stomach, body aching. A headache worse than anything they had ever experienced. Ethan heard the humming stop that signified Dawn had dropped her force field. A moment later hands were rubbing against Ethan’s back.

“Are you okay?” Michael was asking them. Ethan groaned again. Michael put his arms around Ethan, helping them to sit up.

“I’m okay,” Ethan said, voice shaky and hoarse. Accent thick. “The real question is how are you lot?”

“We’re alive. We’re all okay,” Michael said. Ethan looked up, turning their attention to the group. “You just gave us a fright.” Henri hadn’t moved from where Ethan last saw her. She seemed frozen. Nat had taken a few cautious steps towards Ethan. She had allowed her weapon to fizzle out of existence, but was still on guard. Ethan didn’t blame her. 

Ethan’s vision was filled with a round, freckled face. Blonde hair and green eyes. Dawn was kneeling in front of them, hand cautious reaching out to them.

“You back with us?” Dawn asked. Ethan nodded, and they felt like they were finally in control again. Dawn let out a sigh of relief and let her hand fall onto Ethan's knee. Michael pulled Ethan closer to him, wrapping his arms around the English teen.

“Dawn?” Henri called, her voice shaky. “What do we do?” Dawn took a few moments before she answered. From their position, Ethan could see her eyes flickering from side to side, coming up with a plan.

“We can’t just leave this thing here,” Nat said, gesturing vaguely towards the staff. Ethan turned their head to look at it. Ethan couldn’t tell what had really happened to pull them back to this world, but the staff looked like nothing had happened at all. It was still floating there above the altar. Completely intact and unharmed.

“We don’t have a choice,” Dawn said. She stood, falling back into her ‘leader of a team of teenage superheroes’ stance. “We can’t touch it, can’t risk having whatever that was happen again. Henri, take us to the Tower.”

“The Tower?” Henri asked.

“Yes. Ethan can rest up, and we can keep an eye on them,” Dawn said. “We’ll go to the Tower and call the Legion. Some of them are still planet-side, just off in their own cities doing their solo stuff. We'll get them back to Halcyon ASAP. Then they can do whatever it is they need to do. Got it?” The group nodded, voicing their affirmation. “Great. Henri, open the door.”

Henri turned away from the group and took a deep breath. She raised her hand and knocked on the air in front of her with a resounding crack, like she would any normal door. And so a door appeared, materializing slowly. Henri took hold of the ornate wooden door’s door knob, and turned, pushing it open. Dawn stepped through first. Michael didn’t hesitate as he slipped an arm under Ethan’s legs, and another behind their back. Michael hoisted Ethan into the air and carried them through the door. Nat put her hand on Henri’s shoulder, and Henri gave her a quick, nervous nod. So Nat stepped through as well. And finally Henri. From the other side, now standing in the main hall of the Legion’s Tower, Henri looked out her door to the staff in the clearing. She let out a nervous breath and closed the door. Once closed, the door dematerialized. 

And the staff was left in the clearing, still suspended in the air. Waiting for someone to come and claim it.


End file.
